Thrashing machine



l2, 1935. F. SCHLAYER Z,@2U,38U

THRASHING MACHINE Filed NOV. 5, 1931 sNvENT-oQ;

Felix ,fcfilqyer H, mm

Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November3, 1931, Serial No. 572,793 In Austria. November 6, 1930 11 Claims.

The invention relates to axial thrashing machines or axial thrashing andstraw reducing machines, wherein the materials under treatment,introduced at one end of the casing, While being propelled towards theoutlet end of the machine by means of beaters helically mounted on thethrashing shaft, are thrashed, softened and reduced by the co-operationof the heaters with the casing wall or with stationary abutments on theinner structure of the casing.

More particularly the invention relates to rotor elements for machinesof this character.

Machines generally of this type embody, in the inlet portion of themachine, an annular gap surrounding the rotor beaters and decreasingtowards the outlet end of the machine and with, according to the degreeof fineness desired in the reduction of the straw, a more or less deepinterengagement of the stationary abutments when employed with therotary heaters, which increase in length and are axially more closelyspaced towards the outlet end of the machine.

The rotor elements hitherto proposed for this class of machines aredifficult to manufacture, wanting in structural solidity and expensiveto manufacture, as the stick or rod-shaped heaters pertaining to eachrow of heaters are either secured by directly passing through the roundshaft or secured by screws or the like to separate bosslike membersattached and screwed fast on the round shaft.

The object of the invention is to provide, for machines of the typedescribed, a rotor element adapted to effectively resist even theheaviest stresses, which is easy to assemble, the simple structurerendering it readily adaptable to varying working conditions, and alsoinexpensive in production. The required strength and durability areparticularly obtained by the use of heaters in the individual beaterrows which are formed, together with a central part surrounding theshaft, each into an independent unit in the shape of a plate member,forming disc-like beater arms disposed edgewise in the plane ofrotation, the free ends of said beater arms carrying separate toolsspecially attached to them. The said beater arms can be provided in eachrow in any desired number, and can be cheaply manufactured beingpractically safe against fractures, on their free length as well as attheir particularly wide fairing into the central disc disposed in thesame plane.

The beater arms are easily placed on and attache-d to the shaft with theaid of their central disc, requiring no direct screw connection. Thedisc is clamped between sleeves, which are nonrotatably threaded on ashaft element of prismatic cross-section. The sleeves are interengagingby means of projections or bosses and corresponding depressions orrecesses receiving the same, the projections entering correspondingapertures in v the central disc and effectively supporting the latter inradial and circumferential direction, with a wide bearing surface.

In addition the sleeves are devised to produce the required helicalposition of the heaters. To this end the projections or bosses at theone end of the sleeves are displaced by the helix of the heaters againstthe depressions or bosses at the other end of the sleeves, so that thebeater arms are helically positioned by the simple action of alternatelythreading the sleeves and beater discs on the shaft. It is, therefore,easy to obtain a variation of the helical pitch or an irregular helixalong the shaft by using sleeves with differently displaced projectionsand depressions. 2

The assembly facilities and advantages render the machine readilyadaptable to different kinds of grains, with an inexpensive andindividually fitting thrashing shaft.

A further object of the invention is the axial spacing of the beaterrows by means of the sleeves so that the desired number of beater rowscan be provided in the thrashing and straw reducing part of the machine,by the simple act of threadingthe sleeves which are of different lengthas required.

The sleeves reinforce the relatively small central shaft element so thata long, thick, vibration free working shaft of the required strength isobtained, affording a maximum of economy as regards utilization of thestructural materials.

Further objects of the invention relate to the structure of the leadingedge (in the direction of rotation) of the beater arms, which islaterally bent over. The said bend serves as reinforcing member,tool-carrier, transporting device and blower wing.

It has been proposed to mount and clamp band cutting knives betweenspacing sleeves threaded on the shaft and for balancing purposes to havethese knives circumferentially distributed. Usually the knife partsurrounding the shaft either has a radial aperture or consists of twodovetailed disconnectible interlocking parts whereby these knives, whenthey are to be sharpened, may 50,

be transversely removed by an axial separation of the sleeves andusually the knives are non-rotatably supported either immediately on theshaft or between the sleeves, but the sleeves are not mounted or adaptedto transmit the torsional stresses onto the shaft, only one end-sleevebeing devised to transmit the torsional stresses to the shaft. Theseproposed cutter structures are not adapted to function as thrashingmachine rotor elements wherein the rotor is subject to very highstresses. In the applicants rotor the beater discs are supported on avery large surface in radial and circumferential direction, and the highforces produced in the beater arm are directly transmitted through thenon-rotatably mounted sleevelike members onto the shaft element which isreinforced by said sleeves.

By way of example, the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the thrashing shaft withthe working members partly indicated; Fig. 2, a section on the lineII-II; Fig. 3, a side view of the arms carrying reducing fingers; Fig.4, a top view of a working member according to Fig. 3; Figs. 5 and 6 areside views of two different bosses; Fig. 7, a

section on the line VII-VII, of Fig. 5, in connection with attachedworking members and additional bosses; and Fig. 8, a view of athree-armed working member.

Referring to the drawing: I is a shaft portion having a square crosssection and extending at its ends over the thread 2 into the journals 3.Over this shaft portion the longer sleeve-like members 4, 5 and shortersleeve-like members 6, 'I are pushed between which the beater-like arms8 are arranged in the form of fiat bodies set on edge in the directionof rotation.

The sleeve-like members and the arms are pressed firmly together by theplates 9 screwed into the thread 2. Instead of bolting a wedgearrangement may be provided and a. fixed collar at each shaft end.Except for their difference in length, the members 4 coincide with themembers 6, and the members 5 with the members I.

The members 4 are provided on one front at opposite corners of thesquare opening I corresponding to the shape of the shaft portion I withthe externally tapering projections or bosses II rounded off at theirvertex, and on the other side, above straight edges of the opening I 0,the depressions or recesses l2 which correspond exactly to theprojections, and these are arranged so that both in the upper and lowerhalf of the sleeve-like member the projection and depression arestaggered 45. In the members and I conditions are reversed and theprojections II disposed over straight edges while the depressions orrecesses I2, are arranged above the corners of the opening Ill. The arms8 fit well with a relatively large bearing surface on the projections IIwhich enter into the recesses I3 of the arms closely adapted to them.These clearances or recesses I3 start from a central round hole I 4whose diameter is slightly greater than the largest diameter of thesquare shaft I. V

Assumed that the sleeve-like member 4 shown in Fig. 5 and also in Fig. 1is placed first on the square shaft I, the depressions I2 of the leftfront side will be disposed vertically above and below the shaft.Corresponding to the position of the projections, the double-armedbeater 8, which is to be pushed from the right over the shaft andattached to the projections II of the member 4, will incline on top 45to the rear and below to the same extent to the front. The member 5thereafter attached from the right to the shaft comprises theprojections II of the member 4, which enter the depressions I2 of themember- 5.

The projections I I of the member 5 and the arm 8 to be attached theretowill then occupy a horizontal position and, together with the pair ofarms mentioned, form a part of a beater screw having a pitch of 45 andcontinuing up to the threads 2 after additional sleeve-like members 5and arms have been put on from the right and left. The members 4, 5 or6, I are firmly held in engagement with one another by the projections II and the depressions I 2, and the arms 8 clamped between them are wellsupported both radially 10 and in their direction of rotation by theprojections which extend through the arms into the depressions.

The flat bodies acting as working members may have any number ,of arms.In small machines, two arms will suffice, as a rule. In Fig. 8 athreearmed working member is shown. In Fig. 3, dots and dashes indicatean additional pair of arms to form a four-armed beater. The centralportion I5 of the arms consists of a sort of disc whose diameter ispreferably somewhat larger than that of the sleeve-like members. Thearms taper slightly towards their broad free ends, and their front edgeproceeds tangentially from the circumference of the disc I5 and has areinforcing bend I6 increasing towards the free end of the arm anddisclosing an inclined position for conveying the Working materialtowards the outlet end. The bent portion of the arm acting also a bloweris found in arms arranged in the same plane of rotation alternately onthe right-hand and left side of the arm whereby the conveying effect isapplied to a larger area.

The arms on the left shaft portion separated by the longer members 4, 5carry the thrashing plates I! which are secured to the bends I6 disposedin zigzag fashion and which cooperate with stationary counter-members,not shown, on the inner circumference of the machine casing.

Owing to the employment of the shorter members 6, I, the arms on theright-hand end of the shaft are spaced relatively smaller. Their toolsare the reducing fingers I8 which, in multi-armed fiat bodies, arealternately secured to different arm sides within the bends I6 and inengagement with stationary reducing members. By providing only onereducing finger at each arm overstraining of the tool and its carrier isprevented. Near its right-hand end, the shaft carries a circular disc I9supported by sleeve-like members.

-20 are two rakes serving as straw removers and carried by arms;

The arms 8 are all of the same shape and length. Greater radial lengthof the working members, as required for instance in the reducing portionof the machine, can be attained by means of tools having a correspondinglength.

The sleeve-like members and the rotary working members can be producedof course in the form of single bodies and the central portion of theworking members made as independent units may possess projections anddepressions so as to cause the working members themselves to participatein an engagement which is firm against rotation. Instead of fiat bodies,angular or U-shaped arms may be used, and the profiled shaft portion mayhave a cross section disclosing three or five or more corners. Theprismatic form can be avoided by choosing a round shaft provided with ahelical slot. The pitch of the screw may have another angle than that of45. If some tools are to stand off laterally from the arms in order tolet them move in other planes in view of counter-bodies cooperating withthem, they are secured to the arms by means of washers. It (6 is furthernot necessary to divide theworking members intolarms and tools or toprovide them with a special tool.

I claim:

7 1. In an axial thrashing machine a rotor comprising an integralcentral shaft element, a plurality of separate juxtaposed sleeve-likemembers individually secured to the integral element in driving relationtherewith, said sleeve-like members having driving and torquetransmitting projections on one end thereof for beaters and beatercarrying members having central portions of disc-like form clampedbetween said sleeve-like members and having recesses receiving saiddriving and torque transmitting projections, the latter beingcircumferentially staggered progressively along the axis of the rotor todetermine the pitch of the beater members, and the central disc-likeportions of the beater carrying members being extended radially outwardinto edgewise carrying arms with the end edges thereof bent to formcarrying surfaces for working tools and to reinforce the comparativelythin beater carrying members, with the bends forming a progressivehelix.

2. In an axial thrashing machine a rotor comprising an integral centralshaft element, a plurality of separate juxtaposed sleeve-like membersindividually secured to the integral element in driving relationtherewith, said sleeve-like members having driving and torquetransmitting projections on one end thereof for beaters and beatercarrying members having central portions of disc-like form clampedbetween said sleeve-like members and having recesses receiving saiddriving and torque transmitting projections, and the central disc-likeportions of the beater carrying members being extended radially outwardinto edgewise carrying arms with the end edges thereof bent to formcarrying surfaces for working tools and to reinforce the comparativelythin beater carrying members, with the bends forming a progressivehelix.

3. In an axial thrashing or axial thrashing and straw reducing machine,a rotor comprising an untwisted shaft of prismatic crosssection, sleevesnon-rotatably threaded thereon and rows of helically arranged beaters,the beaters of the individual beater rows forming, together with acenter part which surrounds the shaft, a plate-member disposed edge-Wise in the direction of rotation, the leading edge (in the direction ofrotation) of the disclike arms pertaining to a row of beaters beingalternately and laterally bent over to opposite sides, so as to face theoutlet end of the axial machine, a separate disc-shaped thrashing toolsecured to the bent over portion of the leading edge of the beater armsof some individual rows of beaters, a finger-shaped reducing toolseparately attached behind the bent over portion to thebeater arms ofother rows of beaters, the sleeves having at one end two oppositeprojections, at the other end two corresponding depressions displaced bythe helix of the beater arms, the central disc of the arm-like platemember having corresponding apertures adapted to receive and make a snugfit with the said two projections, the projections of each one sleeveentering the depressions of the adjacent sleeve through thecorresponding apertures in the central disc and adapted to support saiddisc in radial and circumferential direction, any two adjacent sleevesclamping a central disc between them.

4. In an axial thrashing or axial thrashing and straw reducing machine,a rotor comprising a shaft of prismatic cross-section, sleevesnon-rotatably threaded thereon, and rows of helically arrangedbeatersclamped between said sleeves, the beaters of the individualbeater rows being 5 shaped, together with their clamping part, as aplate member, and forming disc-likebeater arms disposed edgewise in thedirection of rotation, the leading edge (in the direction of rotation)of the beater arms pertaining to a row of beaters being 10 alternatelyand laterally bent over to opposite sides, a separate'disc-shapedthrashing tool secured to the bent over portion of the leading edge ofthe beater arms of certain individual rows of beaters, a finger-shapedreducing tool separa ely 15 attached to the beater arms of other rows ofbeaters behind the bend, the sleeves having at one end two oppositeprojections, at the other end corresponding depressions displaced by thehelix of the beater arms, the central disc of the arm- 20 like platemember having corresponding apertures adapted to receive and make a snugfit with the said two projections, the projections of each one sleeveentering the depressions of the adjacent sleeve through thecorresponding apertures 25 'in the central disc.

helically arranged beaters clamped between said sleeves. the beaters ofthe individual beater-rows being shaped, together with their clampingstructure. as a plate member, and forming disc-like beater arms disposededgewise in the direction of 35 rotation, the leading edge (in thedirection of rotation) of said arms being bent over laterally, separateworking tools secured to the free ends of the beater arms, the sleeveshaving on one side projections, and on the other side corresponding 40depressions displaced by the helix of the beater arms, the central discof the arm-like plate member having corresponding apertures adapted toreceive and make a snug fit with the said two projections, theprojections of one sleeve entering the depressions of the adjacentsleeve through corresponding apertures in the central disc.

6. In an axial thrashing and straw reducing machine, a rotor comprisinga shaft of prismatic cross-section, sleeves non-rotatably threaded andlocked thereon between grips of the shaft, said sleeves carrying andclamping between them rows of helically arranged beaters, the beaters ofthe individual beater rows being shaped, together with a clamping andsupporting part which surrounds the shaft, as a single plate member, andforming fiat beater arms disposed edgewise in the plane of rotation, allarms being of equal radial length, the arms of the beater rows in thethrashing portion of the machine having separate thrashinggo toolssecured to them, the arms of the beater rows in the straw reducingportion of the machine having separate reducing tools of greater lengthattached to them, the sleeves between the beater rows in the reducingmachine being shorter than the sleeves between the beater rows in thethrashing machine.

'7. In an axial thrashing or axial thrashing a d straw reducing machine,a rotor comprising a, shaft element, sleeves individually non-rotatablythreaded and locked thereon between grips of the element, said sleevescarrying and clamping between them rows of beaters, the beaters of a rowbeing shaped, together with a clamping part which completely surroundsthe shaft, as a single disc member and forming fiat beater arms radiallyextending from the central disc and disposed edgewise in the plane ofrotation, the diameter of the central disc being substantially equal tothe diameter of the sleeves, the beater arms tapering towards their freeends, their leading edges,(in the direction of rotation) lyingtangentially with the central disc, the free ends of the beater armscarrying separate beater members in the form of attached tools.

8. In an axial thrashing machine a rotor comprising a shaft element,sleeves non-rotatably threaded thereon and clamped between points of theelement, said sleeves carrying beater carrying members helicallyarranged and disposed in rows along the shaft, the beater carryingmembers of at least several individual beater rows being shaped, eachtogether with a central disc which completely surrounds the element, asdisc-like metal plate members and forming arms disposed edgewise in thedirection of rotation, said sleeves clamping the central discs of theplate members between them, and forming the complete shaft andcomprisingmeans to give the required helix to the beater arms in the successiverows of beaters, and beaters carried by said arms and adapted toco-operate with a stationary casing to beat and convey the materialshelically and longitudinally of the machine, said helically arrangedbeaters having their working faces arranged to impart to the material ahelical movement through the machine.

9. Thrashing shaft as claimed in claim 8, the sleeves having at theirone end two opposite projections, at their other end two correspondingdepressions displaced by the helix of the beater 1 arms, the centraldisc of the arm-like metal plate member having apertures correspondingtothe 'gether with a centraldisc which surrounds the said projections,the projections of one sleeve engaging the depressions of the adjacentsleeve through the apertures of the central disc.

10. In an axial thrashing or axial thrashing and straw reducing machine,a rotor comprising a shaft element, sleeves individually non-rotatablymounted and locked thereon, said sleeves carrying and clamping betweenthem rows of beaters helically arranged and disposed along the shaft,the beaters of the beater rows being shaped, to- 10 shaft element as asingle plate member, and forming disc-like arms extending from thecentral disc and disposed edgewise in the plane of rotation, the leadingedge (in the direction of 15 rotation) of said arms being bent overlaterally to reinforce the single plate members and to form fasteningsurfaces for beater elements at the desired inclination to impart ahelical movement to the material through the machine. 20

11. In an axial thrashing or axial thrashing and straw reducing machine,a rotor comprising a shaft element, sleeves non-rotatably threaded andlocked thereon, said sleeves carrying and clamping between them rows ofbeaters helically arranged and disposed along the shaft, the beaters ofthe beater rows being shaped, together with a central disc whichsurrounds the shaft element as a single plate member, and formingdisc-like arms extending from the central disc '0 and disposed edgewisein the plane of rotation, the leading edge (in the direction ofrotation) of said arms being bent over laterally, the leading edge (inthe direction of rotation) of the beater arms pertaining to a row ofbeaters being bent over alternately to opposite sides.

FELIX SCI-ILAYER.

CERTIFICATE OF GORREGTEQN. v

Eatent No. 2,020,380.

FELIX SCHLAYER.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows; Page 1,second column, line 13, for "bosses" read recesses; and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the samemay conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of December, A. 1935.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

November 12, 1935.

